This paper traces the history of the frame drum and its importance to the spirituality of ancient people. Religion in the Mediterranean cultures of classical times were female deies in the form of Mother Goddesses. The frame drum and its beats were an integral part of the rites and festivals of the ancient world because of the pulse of life it represented. However, war-like tribes began to invade the peaceful goddess cultures in some areas. Then, finally during and after the fall of Rome, early Christian leaders eradicated all forms of the divine feminine and the frame drum and dancing upon which the goddesses relied. Today, as in the past goddess cultures, the frame drum is an important pathway to higher consciousness.
